Ad-hoc-Meldung/Ad hoc Release nach § 15 WpHG/ pursuant to § 15 of a german Securities Trading Act UniCredit: Reply to the Parmalat litigation

Ad-hoc-Meldung / Ad hoc Release
nach § 15 WpHG / pursuant to § 15 of the German Securities Trading Act


Recently, UniCredit (in the same way as another credit institution) filed a petition to the Lazio region's TAR, within the scope of the defensive actions and strategies forced upon it following the notification filed in the month of August of this year (followed by immediate press coverage) of two writs of summons brought on by the procedure of six companies (four of which foreign) belonging to Parmalat and undergoing special management, with claims for compensation amounting to 4.4 billion Euro the first and 1.8 billion Euro the second.
With specific reference to the stated recent defensive action by UniCredit, Parmalat S.p.A., in accordance to its press release, has reserved itself the right to "every suitable measure with the competent authorities in light of the inconsistencies of the suggested petitions, of certain abnormal coincidences in timing between the moment of notification of the stated petitions and the coming to knowledge of them by the press, with a consequent influence on the value of Parmalat shares".
On this subject, may we point out that:

1. the timing for notification of the petition was dictated by the imminent deadline for its deposition;
   
2. the evaluation of the grounds for the petitions rests on the decision by the Courts (Tribunale) and not on the opinion expressed on the subject by Parmalat;
   
3. the petition was suggested also due to the discovery of new facts such as the position of the Advocate-General at the Courts of Justice of the European Community in the Eurofood affair, another company belonging to the Parmalat Group;
   
4. as far as censored relations with the press, these are facts which UniCredit has nothing to do with;
   
5. concerning the asserted influence on the quotation of the Parmalat shares, of legitimate judicial initiatives undertaken within the scope of defensive strategies put in place by UniCredit in the face of compensation actions suggested by the Commissioner, this is a phenomenom which, if having any grounds, concerns the market and in respect of which UniCredit has nothing to do, not having financial interests in the Parmalat Group and therefore no interest in the value of the shares.
   

UniCredit obviously reserves itself the right to any possible action to preserve the image, including the international one, of the Group.


Enquiries:
Media Relations:
Tel. +39 02 88628236; e-mail: Uci.Ufficiostampa@unicredit.it
Investor Relations:
Tel. + 39 02 88628715; e-mail: UCI-InvestorRelations@unicredit.it


UniCredito Italiano S.p.A.
Via Dante 1
16121 Genoa
Italy

Securities listed on German regulated markets:
ISIN IT0000064854
Listed: Official Market (Amtlicher Markt), Frankfurt Stock Exchange (General Standard)